The new personal teller machines at the $1.9 billion CoastalFederal Credit Union have now transacted more than a millionsessions, the Raleigh, N.C., credit union said.

The machines, from uGenius Technology of Sandy, Utah, allow themember to conduct business with a teller at a remote locationthrough a video conferencing connection with the credit union'scall center. Virtually any kind of transaction can be handled, thecompany said, including cash and check deposits, check cashing,transfers and payments.

Coastal launched the system less than two years ago. Theone-millionth session was for $75 and conducted by Randy Lamm ofCary, N.C., the company and credit union said. Lamm said hefrequently uses the PTMs.

“It threw me for a loop at first, but once I tried it, I neverhad a problem. It's very convenient, and I'm usually in and out inno time,” he said.

Chuck Purvis, Coastal's executive vice president, said, “Thistechnology has allowed Coastal to move forward with key strategicgoals to serve our marketplace better through new branchdeployments and design, and in establishing a centralized tellercenter.”

UGenius Technology said more than 100 of the machines have beendeployed in the United States, Canada and Australia.

“Coastal Federal Credit Union was the first financialinstitution to join us in developing a new way of banking that fitsthe service needs of today's busy consumer and the industry thatserves them,” said Gene Pranger, creator of the company's videobanking system.

The company said another of its customers, the $700 millionMid-Hudson Valley FCU in Kingston, N.Y., was the first to use thePTMs to provide 24/7 access to live tellers.